“When was the last time you felt relaxed?”
A question I asked a client recently. She was shocked because she couldn’t remember. Eventually, she recalled a relaxed moment in Halkadiki, Greece (on holiday) when she was bobbing up and down in the sea but that was over seven months ago.
When a new client begins their coaching journey, I use the first one or two sessions to understand their current state of mind. I assess their stress, anxiety, and depression. I learn about the ways (healthy and unhealthy) they release stress and manage their anxiety. I learn about their current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This knowledge enables me to build and create a personalised programme to better manage and regulate their anxiety.
Anxiety is a feeling of worrying, unease or a fear which can be experienced mildly or extremely. Experiencing anxiety before an exam or a job interview is considered a normal response, it’s usually temporary and after the event the anxiety completely releases.
We all live with a certain amount of anxiety and stress. It can actually be helpful to us on some level as it can motivate us to do the things, we promised to do for ourselves and others. This level of anxiety is within our window of tolerance. The problem starts when the level of anxiety exceeds our window of tolerance. We can become debilitated, avoidant and afraid to do and be who we once were.
When clients experience panic attacks, it’s important to teach tools to manage themselves before, during and after and it’s important to understand the cause. Panic attacks are often rooted in a fear, phobia or a symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Anxiety is a signal from your mind and body. It’s the body’s way of alerting you to perceived danger. Anxiety has a positive intention for you, it usually heightens when your mind and body believe you need protection. The problem is symptoms of anxiety can be disproportionate and anxiety itself induces fear. We can get stuck in a vicious cycle.
Become aware of your specific triggers
Learn to manage your stress responses when dealing with triggers (in real time)
Use breath work techniques to become present and to activate your natural stress reliever
Try Hypnosis to understand the root cause, heal and uncreate the beliefs causing you to be anxious
Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) to honour the anxiety, the causes of anxiety, take responsibility for healing and to release the anxiety.
Another successful method to release anxiety is with Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR). You can find out more about his by clicking this link.
You know yourself better than anyone else. You know all the ways your anxiety is affecting and changing you. You’ll have noticed the ways you try to avoid situations, and this can become a stress factor. You can become obsessive about controlling what you can control to give you a sense of control but those around you are impacted negatively. You also know, this isn’t a healthy or sustainable. If you carry on with this trajectory, what will it lead you to do, to avoid, and most importantly who will you have become.
Trying to keep a lid on anxiety isn’t sustainable. The best thing is to face it gently, to honour what’s been happening to you and to commit to learning how to manage anxiety. There are no short cuts or quick fixes. The deep work you do will be rewarded as you notice the quality of your lived experience improved and expanded.
I hope you’ve found this article on managing anxiety helpful.
Hi! I’m Roksana, a life coach for women in St Albans, Hertfordshire. I run face to face and online sessions via Zoom. I’m always happy to answer your questions around any of my methods or approaches. Long term changes begin with a guide who has walked a similar path, has a blueprint, will give you support and accountability every step of the way. If you’re interested to know more then please book a FREE call with me.
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